A Failed Potion
by The Sorting Hat's Sunglasses
Summary: Merlin's trying to make a complex potion. Arthur is distracting... Fluff to angst to fluff with a little bit of smut. ONE SHOT.


_Disclaimer: I own nothing because if I did own Merlin, it would have ended differently, as in better... maybe something like it did in Just a minor change, an amazing Merlin fanfiction. If you haven't read it, then do. It's by Wandererzaehler and this is the address for it: s/11849047/1/Just-a-minor-change_

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 ** _A/N: So now I apparently ship Merthur..._**

Merlin sat at the bench his finger tracing the words on the page. He was trying to follow the recipe for an incredibly complicated potion to cure Percival of boils. Gaius was out but even if he was in he wouldn't have been much help. The potion required magic, and powerful magic at that. As the Court Sorcerer Merlin was the only one up to the task.

He was the King's most trusted advisor ever since he had saved his life and come clean about having magic. Once Arthur was restored to his throne in Camelot he had lifted the ban on magic and raised Merlin to the position he held now. The rest of the Court respected and admired Merlin, though, he thought wryly as he stirred the potion anticlockwise, if the Court knew half the things he and the Once and Future King got up to in his majesty's bedchambers they... well... they wouldn't be able to look the King or his sorcerer in the eye ever again. Merlin smirked and looked back to the book.

Suddenly he felt a pair of cool soft lips on his lower neck. He jumped in surprise, nearly knocking over the potion, and turned around.

"What! Oh." He relaxed at once seeing it was just Arthur standing over him, leaning on the bench with a hand either side of Merlin. His eyebrows were raised.

"Where have you been, Merlin?" His voice rang with its normal arrogance but his eyes were fixed on Merlin's lips and his whole body was tilting slowly towards the warlock. Merlin's face broke into a smile but he turned back to the bench and returned to his perusal of the book.

"I'm making the potion for Percival," he answered, eyes glued to the fragile pages of the book, "You know, the one only I can make."

Arthur sat down next to him and leant over to look at the book for a few seconds. He sniffed the potion.

"How long till you're finished?" He said.

"Depends," Merlin said, looking up at Arthur, "Whether the King of Camelot keeps distracting me."

"Ok, ok," Arthur said, holding his hands up defensively, "I see where I'm not wanted." He stood up and Merlin got back to the book.

He had got as far as adding the next ingredient when he felt something tugging gently at the tie to his trousers. He looked down.

Arthur was sitting beneath the bench with a sheepish look on his face. He was knelt between Merlin's legs, his hand was on Merlin's trousers.

"Arthur," Merlin said, trying to hold back a smirk, "I'll come to your chambers later tonight but if I don't get this potion done then Percival will have to suffer another night with those itchy boils." Arthur rolled his eyes and then slithered out from under the bench to come and sit next to Merlin.

"But Merlin," he said, fiddling with the wizard's fingers gently, "It's been so long. You've been so busy lately and I mean – I am the King!" He said the last few words forcefully and leant in to capture Merlin's lips in a heavy embrace.

Merlin almost gave in. The feel of Arthur's lips on his own sent shivers down his spine and he moaned into his mouth with longing. Arthur reacted to this happily, wrapping his arms about Merlin's waist and pulling him in towards him. At this Merlin pulled back.

"Later," he said, only allowing his eyes to flicker to Arthur's lips for a fraction of a second, "Later."

Arthur's cheeks went a little pink and he stood up angrily and strode off.

"Don't bother coming tonight," he said, "There are clearly more important things to you than the man who loves you." He slammed the door after him.

"Arthur," Merlin called but he was gone. _Temperamental Kings!_ The sorcerer sighed and returned to his potion making with venom. Being in love with the biggest prick in Camelot was hard, especially as he was the Once and Future King.

"It all goes to his head," Merlin muttered angrily, "He thinks he can have me whenever he wants! I'm not his servant anymore: he made me the Court Sorcerer. He knows how many times I've saved his life and all of Camelot. Why is he so... Aargh!"

He let out a yell as he accidentally set his sleeve on fire. As he jumped up he sent the entirety of the potion flying, along with the book.

"That's it!" He cried, "I give up!" He put out the fire and with a wave of his hand cleaned up the mess. Then he stormed out of the room and headed to his chambers. Since becoming Court Sorcerer, Merlin had been given a much nicer set of chambers. They weren't nearly as large as Arthur's but they were better furnished, and he and Arthur had spent many a wonderful night in the handsome four poster bed which dominated the room.

He settled down in his bed and was trying to get to sleep when he heard the door creak open. He sat up suddenly to see Arthur standing in the doorway, his shoulders slightly lower than usual.

"Are you asleep?"

"No."

"Listen Merlin I'm sorry," Arthur said, "About earlier. It's just I miss spending time with you. I feel like we don't see each other as often as we used to and..." He trailed off. Merlin sighed then lifted the blanket.

"Get in then." Arthur's face lightened up and he hurried over. He was on Merlin in a second, his lips gently kissing the warlock's neck and chest and lips. Merlin smiled and moved his hands over Arthur's back, enjoying the feel of his skin on his hands.

"I-love-you." Arthur breathed between kisses, his voice huskier and more passionate. Merlin moaned and seized Arthur's hair. He held Arthur's head steady so that he could look him in the eyes.

"And I love you," Merlin said, trying to intonate as much meaning as possible into the four syllables. Arthur swallowed and nodded.

"I know," he whispered, his eyes darting from Merlin's eyes to his mouth, "Of course I know that, Merlin, you've sacrificed so much for me." He leant down and kissed him lovingly on the mouth. "But let me... let me show you how much you mean to me." He began kissing Merlin's neck then his chest and then lower down, past his stomach. "Let me show you how much I love you."

His kisses went lower and Merlin closed his eyes and leant his head into the pillow, gasping in bliss. His back arched and his hips bucked against the sensation of Arthur's mouth on him...

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 **A/N: I hope all you Merthur shippers enjoyed it. I'd been on tumblr looking at Merthur stuff and just had to write something so I hope you liked it. If you have the time, please do review. :D X**


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